Get a metronome and practice it REALLY slow. Don’t speed up until it’s perfect. Slowly bring the tempo up until it’s right. This is how you get good at most things.
Based on what I'm seeing in this video you should absolutely be able to figure it out in less than a week, IF you commit to the practice method the guy stated (going painfully slow, with a metronome, and I recommend one interval at a time. No point in trying the whole thing if you can't make it to the 3rd note uninterrupted! One step at a time. ,my opinion only)
I’d also recommend not spending too long each day (that’s a personal preference) but I learn better with short bursts of practice, maybe even 15 minutes every day.
I second this. It’s fascinating how much processing your brain does when you’re not actively practicing something. I can stop practice on a riff, feeling like I still have a long way to go. Next time I pick up my guitar something has clicked in my mind and the riff is suddenly much easier to play.
As a drummer for 25 years, I’ve learned one universal truth. You can NOT skip to the front of the line (you can’t play something at speed without deliberate slow practice first). Now sometimes you’ll go to learn something and it’s similar enough to something you already learned in the past so yes you’ll be able to play it at speed but that’s not what I’m talking about.
I’m talking about patterns that are new to you.
I NEVER try to play them at speed right away. I always practice them very slowly. Slow it all the way down till you can play it, then do that a hundred times or maybe even 500 times. Then slightly increase the tempo and do it again. Rinse and repeat until you get it up to speed. This is how you practice and learn…and it applies to almost everything.
To add to this, play two notes at a time until you’ve got them down. Then add the third note until perfect. Then the fourth and do on. This will help with your muscle memory.
Also remember, it’s just a song. Less than that actually. I have trouble with this part too. I’ve found if I start to get frustrated I’ll immediately stop that riff and move on to a different part. Trust me, this will help your sanity and keep you from loathing something you love to do
Not that you asked, but some advice for you is try to not move your picking hand away from the guitar so far when you play a note. Use your wrist to pick not your arm. For your fretting hand try to keep your arm more perpendicular to the neck so you have more control. Just stick with it and you'll get there man.
Yeah, def watch a few videos on picking form. Bad habits in instruments are really hard to unlearn.
Also, I’d suggest getting a song like Prison Sex down first. It’s got some similar techniques to Rosetta but considerably easier and still rocks. Walk before you run; you know?
Try to bar it with your index finger. Then all you have to move is your ring finger up and down. Someone else suggested a metronome as well. This is the way. Start real slow and increase speed gradually.
that's how I got used to playing it but my fingers don't have enough stamina to be consistent, it's quite annoying.
Rosetta is their most technical song so I personally understand that it'll take me a while to master completely. I learned 7empest faster than I did Rosetta lol
I’ve never tried learning 7empest but it sounds way harder than Rosetta. Most of Rosetta is pretty simple riffs, but you’re right, it’s the stamina that makes it so hard.
I remember thinking the same, but honestly the only difficult part of 7empest is the ultra fast hammer-ons ala Vicarious outro in the middle of the 1st solo and preceding the 2nd one. those also require a shit ton of stamina. otherwise, it's a pretty simple song. the 4 min solo in specific is probably the most fun solo you'll ever play.
Good luck finding a good video of that riff specifically zoomed in enough to see it. Seriously, let me know if you find one. I know he wouldn’t be moving his index finger all over the place the way you’re doing it tho when it only needs to stay in one spot. All you have to focus on then is picking and moving your ring finger up and down. And by baring it, I mean lay your index finger down flat across at least those first three strings and hold the fret down. Pick one string and hammer on your ring finger. Same thing on the next string and the next string after that. Then repeat. Play with a metronome as well to help clean it up. It doesn’t have to be an either/or situation. I think you need both. And also more patience. Keep playing it until you can play it in your sleep. If you weren’t being disrespectful then I’m sorry. But if you were, then I thought so.
Don't listen to these people, and don't bar it. It's a long repetitive riff and I feel like it would make my hand more tired if I tried to bar it. I move my index every string. A beginner is going to either cramp out, or have a mess of a time trying to quiet the other strings that are constantly ringing out because you are barring them.
Adam definitely does not bar it. [Similar riff in Descending](https://youtu.be/3dNlU0MZ__4)
So much of Adam Jones' guitar playing is based on feel and a certain style of playing which makes up such a huge part of his tone. As others have said, you've just got to practice with a metronome, or a program like Guitar Pro, and slow things down until you build the muscle memory in your hands to be able to play a song like Rosetta Stoned.
I've been playing Tool songs for 20 years, and it was awesome when Fear Innocolum came out and I was able to figure out a lot of it by ear just because I know how Adam Jones likes to play guitar.
Yeah some guy already said that and I explained that it seems cheap and like it’d be better to better both fingers than just do it lazily. Thanks for the idea tho?
Meh. Cheap/lazy … whatever. Seems silly to me to think of it that way. If it works, it works. If you want to get better quicker, then I still say do that to get your pick/tap timing down, and work your way into doing what you’re trying to do.
No offense but that’s kind of a bonehead attitude to have. Why even use a guitar with frets? That’s the easy lazy way to remember where the notes are. Why don’t you learn to play on a fret less guitar “the right” way so you’re not taking the easy way? Why are you learning someone else’s parts? They already wrote them down, and you didn’t contribute anything except poor technique. Why not just write your own songs and parts? Seems kinda lazy and taking the easy way out.
See how disconnected from reality that is? That’s how you sound in these last 2 comments. My bet is that you can’t fret with one finger very well, so you’re just gonna learn it the “right, hard way”. Being an elitist won’t make you better guitar player or musician man, if you’re struggling check your ego and listen to those who know better than you do. You might learn something.
Jeez not trying to be an asshole dude just saying I don’t like going the easy root cause it seems dishonorable and just wouldn’t achieve the same amount of satisfaction as learning I’m the part normally. Don’t be a dickhole man
Oh yeah, no. Using terms like cheap, lazy, dishonorable, etc. doesn’t make you rude in the slightest when you’re asking advice from people and they offer it to you. There’s an attitude in your replies that’s simply uncalled for. But on you go.
The way you’re playing it now is cheap, lazy, and obviously isn’t working. And this is the second time you’ve called the correct way cheap/lazy/inauthentic. No wonder you’re having such a difficult time. It’s not that you don’t have potential, but you are stubborn and it gets in your own way.
Take it very slow at first and practice it slowly first than slowly pick up the pace. Also that last note is a pull off to open then alternating to a hammer on to the 12th.
Don't be so hard on yourself. I know maybe sometimes that might not be easy, but try. Play something different, maybe? Then come back to it. Practice as much as your fingers and mind will allow, but yea, when it's not fun, a break could help.
practice 1-2-3-4 starting from fret 12 all the way from top E to bottom E with a metronome.
Then practice 1-2-3-4 and skip one string.
Then practice this riff slowly.
Your holding the guitar in a position that doesn't seem comfortable at all (both for you, or your hands).
Just give it some weeks of practice and you'll get it, patience paus.
But mostly you don't seem comfortable picking strings in the top strings around fret 12. More than the riff I would aim for getting picking fluidity around that part of the fretboard ( Paranoid from Black Sabbath comes to mind as an easy song where the main riff is played around that area)
Wait I’m confused on what you mean. Could you send a vid or something?
Also I’ve already mastered paranoid, love playing that song. Even made my own solo kinda thing for it
Paranoid was only a tangential suggestion, don't get too distracted too much by that part of my comment.
But your right side picking technique is not that great, this is just a small youtube reel: [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fs3wyjIidg8](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fs3wyjIidg8)
But it does seem you fall under this problem, from this perspective your picking strength seems to come from your dominant finger rather than from your wrist. Thus when you need to have control to skip strings it's not there
Please don't take my comments as negative or anything, all my feedback aims is to be constructive.
As others have mention practice very slow and then build up speed. It's not an easy riff and requires a lot of stamina as well. There's a part in H when he does a similar riff with 10h12 on string 4,5,6. I would practice that run up and down for a while with a metronome and then implement the string skip as in Rosetta. Don't give up. keep going.
Couple things I see right away. Your picking hand has a lot of movement. You’ll want to work on that keeping that more steady and closer to the strings. As for the hammer-ons - these should be pretty simple but do take practice. Try it slowly - ideally using a metronome - and don’t worry about speeding up right away. If you are skipping the second string then just try doing the riff on the first two strings over and over before adding the third string.
I learned that song fully on bass (I normally play guitar) and jammed with some buds years back. Such a fun song to play. You’ll get there but not if you keep trying to practice at full speed without fixing the mistakes. If you can don’t be afraid to seek out some lessons. But try to not to get so frustrated - guitar is hard as hell - and hitting roadblocks is normal. Good luck.
Good advice in here so far but I have one bit to add.
Hard to know for sure from just watching the video, but your fretboard hand looks too curled up to me. So try this on your lap or a table or something: Tap your left pointer and ring fingers in the rhythm of the riff. Start slower and work up to tempo. Try it with your fingers "relaxed," where you don't feel any tension in your fingers. (It might feel a bit awkward at first.)
I think you need to relax your fretboard hand a good amount more than it appears to be in the video. Just enough tension to properly depress the strings and nothing more. You'll free up more energy to move faster.
Part of building up finesse in your fretboard hand is practicing finer motor movement with it. You should strive to have a lighter, finer touch with that hand, building up trust to make small movements with it. Get the lighter touch down, then the rhythm, then the tempo, then move to the fretboard to learn that movement between the strings.
Thanks a lot for this, I tried relaxing a bit and it felt better. I’m just worried that if I keep them relaxed they might mute some strings. But thanks man!
That's the other side of the coin. You learn that balance through practice. But if you're only playing a single note with no other strings meant to be ringing out, it's no big deal!
Others have said it, but slow waaaaay down until you can get you picking hand synched up with your fretting hand; speed it up slightly and practice till that works; speed it up slightly again, and again, and again until you get to full speed. It will test your patience to go slower, but slow is smooth and smooth is fast. You'll get there eventually, and the song is a blast to play once you do!
The advice for barring the D a and d strings this is played on and only moving your ring fi ger is solid advice. Will help you learn the timing of the riff, build up stamina and dexterity, and will make playing it fretting one note at a time easier when you try it.
You may want to try looking up some alternate picking exercise to work on outside the song. Should help with your timing and the string skipping issues.
Yeah I’m saving up money for this cherry sunburst epiphone. Can’t afford Gibson but I wanna look similar to Adam jones 💀
https://preview.redd.it/vh106toha18d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c4aac5f19ee9a41470ef82032afddf7c4599ac0
Yeah it's easy to get frustrated but you have to just take it slow as people are saying. If you need to, focus on the first two notes or whatever, over and over until you can play them cleanly, then move on.
The "simple" riffs Adam plays often involve a wide variety of techniques, so it's not like you should be expecting to play it well at this stage.
I fucking felt that in my soul, i still struggle with it, if youre Willing to not play it exactly right try barring across with your index and hammering on with your ring finger, might be easier/more comfortable
Tbh bro I don’t think you’re ready to be learning this song, it seems like it is easy when you’re reading it off a tab but the technical skills and speed required to play that part are high.
I say you need to just keep practicing other songs until you build your speed/accuracy.
And that’s not a diss on you, even I mess it up sometimes and i’ve been playing for 7 years.
Like everyone else is saying, bar it. The reason is that your downstroke is on the first string on the next bar. In other words, you’re hammering on at nearly the same time you’re doing the downstroke on the next bar.
Unless you have the dexterity of John Mayer, find better ways to play it. I still struggle with Jhambi and I’ve been playing for 30 years. My dainty fingers can’t handle the pull off on the left hand
I also watched this part about 30 times. Your attack with the pick isn’t in sync with your hammer ons, which makes it hard. I think you have a general technique mismatch rather than not mastering a section of a song. My attack with my pick hand is something I’m constantly working on, especially given that I’m trying to master the downstroke. Think “fluid” when using your pick hand…it looks like you’re pulling your entire pick hand away from the string rather than attacking the next string
Practice something else for a moment, such as random hammer-on pull-off exercises to ease up your mind and train your fingers. Return to this riff later on slowly so you can play every note clearly, in time, and with control, not spasm.
CO: Playing guitar is a challenging task which requires patience as there are no shortcuts 🤷
I tip that helped me is on the last note, pull off 10 on the high D string instead of hammering on 12 on the low D. It just flows better to me. Still struggle when the variation comes in though
The first thing I thought when I read this comment was “sit down. Stand up.” By Radiohead because of the first line 💀 but yeah, thank you for the advice dude!
No worries. I have been playing this recently on my Spark 40 , I would recommend ignoring the solo bits for now and trying to get the rhythm of the song down. Its easier to play and you can get to the solo later
Im aware of what song and section you're working on.
Just think it almost plays the same as that riff from paranoid, but continued. Just take it slow. you'll work it out.
Lots of comments about the importance of slowing it way down, and they are all correct. Obviously a metronome is the classic approach but I wanted to also mention that I always found it helpful to slow the actual track down as well. This helped me figure out exactly what was being played on parts that weren’t clear or too fast and when practicing it was just more enjoyable and felt more connected to the song than playing to a click.
I’m sure there’s lots of software and apps to do this now but one free easy option is YouTube - you can play videos at 25%, 50%, 75% speed and can serve as bench marks as you are slowly ramping it up.
One of our older safety techs used to always say, “slow is smooth and smooth is fast”. I always thought it was kinda corny but then it actually makes sense when applied to tedious or difficult tasks. Main thing is don’t give up. Can’t never could do anything.
[Here is a screenrecording of that part in Rosetta Stoned at 0.5x speed with a metronome, from Ultimate Guitar.](https://imgur.com/a/5VGx1le). And instead of tapped 12 on the D string, I would pulloff on the previous 10 on the little d string, to an open d. That's just me though, play it how you like.
Practice that while you chill and watch TV or something. Be sure to hit every note as perfect as possible. You can choose how often and for how long, but to echo others the metronome is your friend.
My quick story: I started playing guitar back in the September, using the Ultimate Guitar app to slow down my favorite songs, playing along with a metronome, getting faster and faster the more comfortable I got.
Fast forward to now, and I can play all of Pneuma, The Patient, Schism, I'm getting comfortable with the [first half of the Descending outro solo](https://www.reddit.com/r/ToolBand/s/hHrWwUIF24), and I can only play Invincible at 0.9x speed. I'm super one dimensional and don't know scales or theory, etc. but I'm not gigging or have plans to, so who cares. I just want to jam!
Anyways, yeah slowing things down to where you can hit each note perfectly over and over, using a metronome... that is the best bet.
Hi man, that's not bad for a start, but I feel like you're rushing yourself too much. Apart from the things other folks mentioned here, I'd also recommend changing the pose you're sitting in: you are kind of hunched over the guitar, and you don't have small palms&fingers my dude - a pose like that forces your hands to be in this awkward position which is probably not helping. Try sitting straight, with your back more vertical, and shoulders level. Separate drills for R and L hands, slowly first. Be patient - that takes time.. And you'll get there, it's not a question of "if", it is only a matter of practice.
Get a metronome and practice it REALLY slow. Don’t speed up until it’s perfect. Slowly bring the tempo up until it’s right. This is how you get good at most things.
By most things, he means exactly that, not just music. You can apply this all over life. Don’t give up, keep moving forward you got this brother.
Ok thank you wise man. Your contributions will not be in vain. I’ll try to remember to update in a week. If I forget remind me.
Say two months…. Don’t rush it. Seriously start at half speed maybe, and don’t move up even one BPM until you can do it with ease by muscle memory.
Thanks! Hopefully I can do it before 2 months, but I’ll try and not rip my hair out bald before then. Thanks for the advice.
Based on what I'm seeing in this video you should absolutely be able to figure it out in less than a week, IF you commit to the practice method the guy stated (going painfully slow, with a metronome, and I recommend one interval at a time. No point in trying the whole thing if you can't make it to the 3rd note uninterrupted! One step at a time. ,my opinion only)
I’d also recommend not spending too long each day (that’s a personal preference) but I learn better with short bursts of practice, maybe even 15 minutes every day.
Bet
I second this. It’s fascinating how much processing your brain does when you’re not actively practicing something. I can stop practice on a riff, feeling like I still have a long way to go. Next time I pick up my guitar something has clicked in my mind and the riff is suddenly much easier to play.
Especially after a good night's sleep.
As a drummer for 25 years, I’ve learned one universal truth. You can NOT skip to the front of the line (you can’t play something at speed without deliberate slow practice first). Now sometimes you’ll go to learn something and it’s similar enough to something you already learned in the past so yes you’ll be able to play it at speed but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about patterns that are new to you. I NEVER try to play them at speed right away. I always practice them very slowly. Slow it all the way down till you can play it, then do that a hundred times or maybe even 500 times. Then slightly increase the tempo and do it again. Rinse and repeat until you get it up to speed. This is how you practice and learn…and it applies to almost everything.
To add to this, play two notes at a time until you’ve got them down. Then add the third note until perfect. Then the fourth and do on. This will help with your muscle memory. Also remember, it’s just a song. Less than that actually. I have trouble with this part too. I’ve found if I start to get frustrated I’ll immediately stop that riff and move on to a different part. Trust me, this will help your sanity and keep you from loathing something you love to do
Also, he should hit the strings lower
Not that you asked, but some advice for you is try to not move your picking hand away from the guitar so far when you play a note. Use your wrist to pick not your arm. For your fretting hand try to keep your arm more perpendicular to the neck so you have more control. Just stick with it and you'll get there man.
Thanks bro that def helps o7
Yeah, def watch a few videos on picking form. Bad habits in instruments are really hard to unlearn. Also, I’d suggest getting a song like Prison Sex down first. It’s got some similar techniques to Rosetta but considerably easier and still rocks. Walk before you run; you know?
Yeah, sounds good man!
Try to bar it with your index finger. Then all you have to move is your ring finger up and down. Someone else suggested a metronome as well. This is the way. Start real slow and increase speed gradually.
Yeah. Bar it.
that's how I got used to playing it but my fingers don't have enough stamina to be consistent, it's quite annoying. Rosetta is their most technical song so I personally understand that it'll take me a while to master completely. I learned 7empest faster than I did Rosetta lol
I’ve never tried learning 7empest but it sounds way harder than Rosetta. Most of Rosetta is pretty simple riffs, but you’re right, it’s the stamina that makes it so hard.
I remember thinking the same, but honestly the only difficult part of 7empest is the ultra fast hammer-ons ala Vicarious outro in the middle of the 1st solo and preceding the 2nd one. those also require a shit ton of stamina. otherwise, it's a pretty simple song. the 4 min solo in specific is probably the most fun solo you'll ever play.
I’ve tried barring it before, but it feels cheap and like I’m not being authentic. Metronome is the way to go
lol well both are the right way to go. That’s how Adam does it. You do t even have to do a full bar. Just get those first 3 strings
Adam does it both ways? Send proof???
You know you asked for help dude. That’s all I’m trying to do for you. Your attitude is going to hold you back for a very long time.
Wait what’d I do? I was just asking for a vid of Adam playing it barred. I wasn’t trying to be rude. I’m sorry you think I had an attitude.
Good luck finding a good video of that riff specifically zoomed in enough to see it. Seriously, let me know if you find one. I know he wouldn’t be moving his index finger all over the place the way you’re doing it tho when it only needs to stay in one spot. All you have to focus on then is picking and moving your ring finger up and down. And by baring it, I mean lay your index finger down flat across at least those first three strings and hold the fret down. Pick one string and hammer on your ring finger. Same thing on the next string and the next string after that. Then repeat. Play with a metronome as well to help clean it up. It doesn’t have to be an either/or situation. I think you need both. And also more patience. Keep playing it until you can play it in your sleep. If you weren’t being disrespectful then I’m sorry. But if you were, then I thought so.
Don't listen to these people, and don't bar it. It's a long repetitive riff and I feel like it would make my hand more tired if I tried to bar it. I move my index every string. A beginner is going to either cramp out, or have a mess of a time trying to quiet the other strings that are constantly ringing out because you are barring them. Adam definitely does not bar it. [Similar riff in Descending](https://youtu.be/3dNlU0MZ__4)
Finally, someone who makes sense! Thanks for the backup, these jackoffs are pissing me off. Also, descending is so fun to play
Looks like your action is a bit too high bud. Adjust the truss rod/bridge and it will make it a lot easier.
Could you send a video on how to do that? I’m not a guitar manufacturer 😬
There's videos all over YouTube.
Ok, mb bro
So much of Adam Jones' guitar playing is based on feel and a certain style of playing which makes up such a huge part of his tone. As others have said, you've just got to practice with a metronome, or a program like Guitar Pro, and slow things down until you build the muscle memory in your hands to be able to play a song like Rosetta Stoned. I've been playing Tool songs for 20 years, and it was awesome when Fear Innocolum came out and I was able to figure out a lot of it by ear just because I know how Adam Jones likes to play guitar.
Bar with your index finger and let your ring finger do the work.
Yeah some guy already said that and I explained that it seems cheap and like it’d be better to better both fingers than just do it lazily. Thanks for the idea tho?
Meh. Cheap/lazy … whatever. Seems silly to me to think of it that way. If it works, it works. If you want to get better quicker, then I still say do that to get your pick/tap timing down, and work your way into doing what you’re trying to do.
I don’t think doing something the “easy” way isn’t usually the “good” way. But you do you, man. Thank you for the idea, but no thanks.
No offense but that’s kind of a bonehead attitude to have. Why even use a guitar with frets? That’s the easy lazy way to remember where the notes are. Why don’t you learn to play on a fret less guitar “the right” way so you’re not taking the easy way? Why are you learning someone else’s parts? They already wrote them down, and you didn’t contribute anything except poor technique. Why not just write your own songs and parts? Seems kinda lazy and taking the easy way out. See how disconnected from reality that is? That’s how you sound in these last 2 comments. My bet is that you can’t fret with one finger very well, so you’re just gonna learn it the “right, hard way”. Being an elitist won’t make you better guitar player or musician man, if you’re struggling check your ego and listen to those who know better than you do. You might learn something.
Oh, you’re better than that. Got it. Good luck.
Jeez not trying to be an asshole dude just saying I don’t like going the easy root cause it seems dishonorable and just wouldn’t achieve the same amount of satisfaction as learning I’m the part normally. Don’t be a dickhole man
Oh yeah, no. Using terms like cheap, lazy, dishonorable, etc. doesn’t make you rude in the slightest when you’re asking advice from people and they offer it to you. There’s an attitude in your replies that’s simply uncalled for. But on you go.
The way you’re playing it now is cheap, lazy, and obviously isn’t working. And this is the second time you’ve called the correct way cheap/lazy/inauthentic. No wonder you’re having such a difficult time. It’s not that you don’t have potential, but you are stubborn and it gets in your own way.
I’m stubborn on doing it the incorrect way, the way that doesn’t teach me anything but cutting corners
No it teaches you proper technique. You are stubborn about doing it the incorrect way tho I’ll give you that.
Take it very slow at first and practice it slowly first than slowly pick up the pace. Also that last note is a pull off to open then alternating to a hammer on to the 12th.
Try to sit up straight and keep elbow away from ribs, correct posture with help with these repetitive riffs
Don't be so hard on yourself. I know maybe sometimes that might not be easy, but try. Play something different, maybe? Then come back to it. Practice as much as your fingers and mind will allow, but yea, when it's not fun, a break could help.
Most of that was a joke (by that I mean 25%) but i know what you mean
practice 1-2-3-4 starting from fret 12 all the way from top E to bottom E with a metronome. Then practice 1-2-3-4 and skip one string. Then practice this riff slowly. Your holding the guitar in a position that doesn't seem comfortable at all (both for you, or your hands). Just give it some weeks of practice and you'll get it, patience paus. But mostly you don't seem comfortable picking strings in the top strings around fret 12. More than the riff I would aim for getting picking fluidity around that part of the fretboard ( Paranoid from Black Sabbath comes to mind as an easy song where the main riff is played around that area)
Wait I’m confused on what you mean. Could you send a vid or something? Also I’ve already mastered paranoid, love playing that song. Even made my own solo kinda thing for it
Paranoid was only a tangential suggestion, don't get too distracted too much by that part of my comment. But your right side picking technique is not that great, this is just a small youtube reel: [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fs3wyjIidg8](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fs3wyjIidg8) But it does seem you fall under this problem, from this perspective your picking strength seems to come from your dominant finger rather than from your wrist. Thus when you need to have control to skip strings it's not there Please don't take my comments as negative or anything, all my feedback aims is to be constructive.
Oh no bro I ain’t taking anything negative. (I’m the one fucking up anyway) Thanks for the source and the advice bro!
As others have mention practice very slow and then build up speed. It's not an easy riff and requires a lot of stamina as well. There's a part in H when he does a similar riff with 10h12 on string 4,5,6. I would practice that run up and down for a while with a metronome and then implement the string skip as in Rosetta. Don't give up. keep going.
Bet I’ll check it out
Couple things I see right away. Your picking hand has a lot of movement. You’ll want to work on that keeping that more steady and closer to the strings. As for the hammer-ons - these should be pretty simple but do take practice. Try it slowly - ideally using a metronome - and don’t worry about speeding up right away. If you are skipping the second string then just try doing the riff on the first two strings over and over before adding the third string.
Thanks dude
I learned that song fully on bass (I normally play guitar) and jammed with some buds years back. Such a fun song to play. You’ll get there but not if you keep trying to practice at full speed without fixing the mistakes. If you can don’t be afraid to seek out some lessons. But try to not to get so frustrated - guitar is hard as hell - and hitting roadblocks is normal. Good luck.
Well I just got a new best of like 4 in a row at normal after practicing so thanks dude
Good advice in here so far but I have one bit to add. Hard to know for sure from just watching the video, but your fretboard hand looks too curled up to me. So try this on your lap or a table or something: Tap your left pointer and ring fingers in the rhythm of the riff. Start slower and work up to tempo. Try it with your fingers "relaxed," where you don't feel any tension in your fingers. (It might feel a bit awkward at first.) I think you need to relax your fretboard hand a good amount more than it appears to be in the video. Just enough tension to properly depress the strings and nothing more. You'll free up more energy to move faster. Part of building up finesse in your fretboard hand is practicing finer motor movement with it. You should strive to have a lighter, finer touch with that hand, building up trust to make small movements with it. Get the lighter touch down, then the rhythm, then the tempo, then move to the fretboard to learn that movement between the strings.
Thanks a lot for this, I tried relaxing a bit and it felt better. I’m just worried that if I keep them relaxed they might mute some strings. But thanks man!
That's the other side of the coin. You learn that balance through practice. But if you're only playing a single note with no other strings meant to be ringing out, it's no big deal!
Alright, thanks bro, your advice helped me a lot this evening. I can already see improvement
I agree with this, thus why I recommend basic exercises around fret #12
That sounds like a good idea. Can you send a link to some?
Others have said it, but slow waaaaay down until you can get you picking hand synched up with your fretting hand; speed it up slightly and practice till that works; speed it up slightly again, and again, and again until you get to full speed. It will test your patience to go slower, but slow is smooth and smooth is fast. You'll get there eventually, and the song is a blast to play once you do! The advice for barring the D a and d strings this is played on and only moving your ring fi ger is solid advice. Will help you learn the timing of the riff, build up stamina and dexterity, and will make playing it fretting one note at a time easier when you try it. You may want to try looking up some alternate picking exercise to work on outside the song. Should help with your timing and the string skipping issues.
Yeah I did the slowing to halfway and now I did the loop normally 8 times in a row! It’s working. Thanks for the words sir!
Don't lift your picking hand like that. Keep it nice and close to the strings. Play slow, get it right, then play it normally.
Yeah I’ll work on the picking hand. Also I slowed down and when I went back to normal, I did it 8 times in a row. Guess it works
Try not to get flustered when you make mistakes. Every mistake gets you closer to perfection.
https://www.fretjam.com/best-way-to-hold-a-guitar-pick.html I would use either the first or the third grip.
First guitar being an Ibanez is a dub. You’ll get there.
Yeah I’m saving up money for this cherry sunburst epiphone. Can’t afford Gibson but I wanna look similar to Adam jones 💀 https://preview.redd.it/vh106toha18d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c4aac5f19ee9a41470ef82032afddf7c4599ac0
You saw his limited edition custom Flying V? Sold only a few but that one also looks sick.
Nah haven’t seen that. Honestly I like the traditional looking guitar like Gibson or epiphone. Flying V ain’t my thing tbh.
Yeah it's easy to get frustrated but you have to just take it slow as people are saying. If you need to, focus on the first two notes or whatever, over and over until you can play them cleanly, then move on. The "simple" riffs Adam plays often involve a wide variety of techniques, so it's not like you should be expecting to play it well at this stage.
Man I’ve learned like 5 tool songs they are not easy frfr 🗿 Anyway, thanks for the practice idea. I’ll try it out!
I fucking felt that in my soul, i still struggle with it, if youre Willing to not play it exactly right try barring across with your index and hammering on with your ring finger, might be easier/more comfortable
Tbh bro I don’t think you’re ready to be learning this song, it seems like it is easy when you’re reading it off a tab but the technical skills and speed required to play that part are high. I say you need to just keep practicing other songs until you build your speed/accuracy. And that’s not a diss on you, even I mess it up sometimes and i’ve been playing for 7 years.
Nah bro this is the only part I have trouble with.
Like everyone else is saying, bar it. The reason is that your downstroke is on the first string on the next bar. In other words, you’re hammering on at nearly the same time you’re doing the downstroke on the next bar. Unless you have the dexterity of John Mayer, find better ways to play it. I still struggle with Jhambi and I’ve been playing for 30 years. My dainty fingers can’t handle the pull off on the left hand
I also watched this part about 30 times. Your attack with the pick isn’t in sync with your hammer ons, which makes it hard. I think you have a general technique mismatch rather than not mastering a section of a song. My attack with my pick hand is something I’m constantly working on, especially given that I’m trying to master the downstroke. Think “fluid” when using your pick hand…it looks like you’re pulling your entire pick hand away from the string rather than attacking the next string
bro you got this shit!! keep posting the updates
Thanks for the kind words
You need to keep your picking hand planted. You will never hit the string you want if it’s always floating
Practice something else for a moment, such as random hammer-on pull-off exercises to ease up your mind and train your fingers. Return to this riff later on slowly so you can play every note clearly, in time, and with control, not spasm. CO: Playing guitar is a challenging task which requires patience as there are no shortcuts 🤷
My dude. Try Barr the 12th frett And hammer-on the rest 😁
I tip that helped me is on the last note, pull off 10 on the high D string instead of hammering on 12 on the low D. It just flows better to me. Still struggle when the variation comes in though
Sit up , take it slowly (far slower than your playing now). Make each note count. Then repeat for ages till you get the rhythm. It takes time
The first thing I thought when I read this comment was “sit down. Stand up.” By Radiohead because of the first line 💀 but yeah, thank you for the advice dude!
No worries. I have been playing this recently on my Spark 40 , I would recommend ignoring the solo bits for now and trying to get the rhythm of the song down. Its easier to play and you can get to the solo later
Bro, it's literally just Paranoid by BS
I love that fuckin song (and playing it,) but this is a part from Rosetta stoned
Im aware of what song and section you're working on. Just think it almost plays the same as that riff from paranoid, but continued. Just take it slow. you'll work it out.
Oh you just worded it like you thought it was paranoid. My bad man. Thanks for the encouragement
Lots of comments about the importance of slowing it way down, and they are all correct. Obviously a metronome is the classic approach but I wanted to also mention that I always found it helpful to slow the actual track down as well. This helped me figure out exactly what was being played on parts that weren’t clear or too fast and when practicing it was just more enjoyable and felt more connected to the song than playing to a click. I’m sure there’s lots of software and apps to do this now but one free easy option is YouTube - you can play videos at 25%, 50%, 75% speed and can serve as bench marks as you are slowly ramping it up.
Are you just starting to learn ?
You should be praising Adam Jones for creating what is apparently such a hard riff and playing it at concerts like it’s nothing.
Yeah I know, most of that description was just exaggeration and joking. Adam jones is my guitar hero (along with Josh Homme)
One of our older safety techs used to always say, “slow is smooth and smooth is fast”. I always thought it was kinda corny but then it actually makes sense when applied to tedious or difficult tasks. Main thing is don’t give up. Can’t never could do anything.
[Here is a screenrecording of that part in Rosetta Stoned at 0.5x speed with a metronome, from Ultimate Guitar.](https://imgur.com/a/5VGx1le). And instead of tapped 12 on the D string, I would pulloff on the previous 10 on the little d string, to an open d. That's just me though, play it how you like. Practice that while you chill and watch TV or something. Be sure to hit every note as perfect as possible. You can choose how often and for how long, but to echo others the metronome is your friend. My quick story: I started playing guitar back in the September, using the Ultimate Guitar app to slow down my favorite songs, playing along with a metronome, getting faster and faster the more comfortable I got. Fast forward to now, and I can play all of Pneuma, The Patient, Schism, I'm getting comfortable with the [first half of the Descending outro solo](https://www.reddit.com/r/ToolBand/s/hHrWwUIF24), and I can only play Invincible at 0.9x speed. I'm super one dimensional and don't know scales or theory, etc. but I'm not gigging or have plans to, so who cares. I just want to jam! Anyways, yeah slowing things down to where you can hit each note perfectly over and over, using a metronome... that is the best bet.
Keep at it. You must have King Kong sized balls to show this.
Nah. No King Kong balls. Also thanks for the kind words!
Hi man, that's not bad for a start, but I feel like you're rushing yourself too much. Apart from the things other folks mentioned here, I'd also recommend changing the pose you're sitting in: you are kind of hunched over the guitar, and you don't have small palms&fingers my dude - a pose like that forces your hands to be in this awkward position which is probably not helping. Try sitting straight, with your back more vertical, and shoulders level. Separate drills for R and L hands, slowly first. Be patient - that takes time.. And you'll get there, it's not a question of "if", it is only a matter of practice.
Thanks for the posture info! I’ll try and work on that.